Sports Redux: Pitching=October

It's June. June 13. The game last night was the 61st game of 2009. But, it really could have been played in October. The last two World Series champions battled in a game the Red Sox won 5-2 in 13 innings in a game that was filled with great pitching, timely hitting and error-free defense. Bostonist is making no predictions but Boston and Philadelphia, well, hey, you saw the game. Admit it. You thought it, too. The Herald did it, too.

How can this staff realistically ever be expected to pitch a better game? Giving up five hits and two runs with 20 strikeouts in 13 innings against a Phillies team that leads the National League in runs speaks for itself. Bostonist will give Ramon Ramirez a mulligan for a blown save in the context of the overall staff performance. Ramon, dude, don't do it again.

Jon Lester allowed one run on two hits and struck out 11 in seven innings. For the first time in his career, Lester recorded at least 10 strikeouts in his third consecutive start. The bullpen pitched six innings and allowed one run on three hits and fanned nine.

The Phillies struck first in the second as Pedro Feliz drove in Raul Ibanez for a 1-0 lead. Kevin Youkilis tied the game in the fourth with a powerful opposite field home run. J.D. Drew, who the Philly fans still hate 12 years after he spurned them, gave the Sox a 2-1 lead with a fifth-inning home run. Lester and Hideki Okajima checked the Phillies until Ryan Howard's home run off Ramirez in the ninth sent the game into extra innings. In inning 13, Youkilis lined out to center to lead off. Jason Bay singled, Julio Lugo - yes - singled and Jason Varitek walked to load the bases. Jacoby Ellsbury, Nick Green and Mike Lowell each singled to drive in one run to take the 5-2 win.

Jonathan Paplebon didn't pitch but did make news. He is light $1,000 after MLB fined him for a "pace-of-game" violation, which means he takes too much time to throw his first pitch after coming out of the bullpen. Oh. In other off-field news, Bay is so not worried about his contract for 2010. Keep hitting and let Bostonist worry instead.

The Sox 8-0 mark versus the Yankees is beginning to produce off-field drama. Sox owner John Henry used his Twitter account to go after Mark Teixeira. Joe Girardi said Brad Penny was throwing at A-Rod. Speaking of the Yankees, the Mets gave them a win last night. Wonder if our Gothamist friends think the Mets are choking early in 2009?

Since this is Boston, game 61 of 162 is way cooler (maybe) than a winner-take-all, seventh game in the NHL. Pittsburgh took the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 win over Detroit. Evgeni Malkin received the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. The NHL was the first sport to get the ending of their season right with the traditional handshake. Pittsburgh and Detroit showed what's good about sports.